Which blade do you think got the best looking design?

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Aug 2015
1,662
1,564
4,397
Read 13 reviews
they play like a dream. i was a long time user of the nittaku violin. the fish scale is a white limba soft outer ply. the biggest problem with ross's blades is the waiting list. it's longer than a year. anywho, after posting my picture on this forum i decided to shoot him an email and theres only two people left ahead of me on his list, ill be getting that backup soon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Moderator
Dec 2010
16,640
18,535
56,964
Read 11 reviews
Yes the blade is beautiful, and the reason I said that is I saw a little white line on the image in the pattern, that made me think. Because I have not seen this blade in real life, so it was absolutely possible that I'm mistaking. Even, I must say that I did not found anything stating that the manufacturer uses only complete and perfect veeners.

On my phone, I can enlarge the photo enough to see that the pattern you are talking about is from the cut of the wood (quarter sawn) and that the ply is one whole piece. When I saw the pattern, the first thing I did was enlarge it to see a larger image. I can see it even more easily from my computer. You only would have been able to make that statement if you had not looked closely at the veneer. When you look closely you can see it is one piece.

In his photo gallery, you can see that he has many different blades that have unique ply patterns as a result of the cuts of wood he uses.

Basically the guy is making art from the way he chooses the cuts of the wood.

And I don't know anyone who would want to play with a blade made from what you were calling double cut weener. That would not play well at all because each separate piece of wood is a bit different. It also would look bad and more obviously cheap.

But no harm done. The mistake was easy to point out and easy to realize.



Sent from GroundZero from my NanoWeaponOfMassDestruction
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
🏆 Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Moderator
Dec 2010
16,640
18,535
56,964
Read 11 reviews
To Tokieboi:
Thank you for the support, it is a shame to see.

Also, I am not so sure this statement was "support"!

Sorry to but in, but I think I have to clarify some things. Ross Leidy's blade is among the most beautiful blades out there, there is no way he would be using glued up several veneers for top ply (or any ply actually). The top wood on that blade is "quarter-sawn" white ash, which is actually the most expensive type of white ash veneers available on the market. It's more expensive than "flat-sawn" ash that more common used. Quarter-sawn white ash is also used as Nittaku violin and violincello's top ply.

Tokieboi does show photos of blades that do use segmented pieces as poor quality. And from a $190.00 Stiga blade. Pretty lame.

But he is clearly stating that Ross Leidi is using the most expensive cuts of wood available.

I don't think that quarter sawn wood plays any better than a regular cut of the same wood. But it sure looks better and you get those cool grain patterns with fish scales or 3D effects.

Anyway, this too is a simple mistake and no harm has been done.

We all know you meant well. And it is a shame that so many of the bigger companies try to pass off shoddy workmanship as high quality blades.

So when someone like Ross Leidi or OSP is out there making high quality stuff, it is a breath of fresh air.

I have never used a Ross Leidi blade. But I use OSP blades. They are simple. The cuts are regular cuts. But the blades are of a great quality for playing. High quality but simple. Whereas, it looks like Ross Leidi's blades are high quality with an upper, upper, upper end productions with a creative and artistic flair.


Sent from GroundZero from my NanoWeaponOfMassDestruction
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Tokieboi
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Mar 2014
29
26
146
Hi all!

It looks like I stirred some water up, so I believe it is time to clarify.

To UpSideDownCarl:
Yes the blade is beautiful, and the reason I said that is I saw a little white line on the image in the pattern, that made me think. Because I have not seen this blade in real life, so it was absolutely possible that I'm mistaking. Even, I must say that I did not found anything stating that the manufacturer uses only complete and perfect veeners.

"Veneer

The following veneers are available for outer and medial plies. The photos are taken from my own inventory and provide a representative example of the color and character of the wood species.

My goal is to find veneers that are both visually appealing and suitable for use in blades. If you're going to invest in a custom blade, I think it should not only play great, but should look great, too!

The veneers are listed in order from softest to hardest."

But if you say that it is genuine and of the highest quality, I believe you.


To Tokieboi:
Thank you for the support, it is a shame to see Stiga do this crappy work. Also it is shameful that other "trademarks" mesmerize us with tradition and history. Just like the new Alsér blade series. There is the Alsér 5, carb 7, carb 9, etc... all made in Tranas, the Mekka of swedish craftmanship, where all veeners are belowed and handled with care, no synthetic glues are used and the well known Stiga blades were made here (Alsér, Stellan, Johannson etc...) So the new Alsér series came out, with one slogen: made in Tranas.

View attachment 8227
And these are my friends are double cut (recycled) limba veeners. And the smell of the blade tells that synthetic glue was used instead of the traditional size. So if such "trademarks" and beliefs can fall I will always suspect something fishy when a blade is cool.

To all:
I am terribly sorry if I offended someone with my beliefs and experience in the field.

Hi, I'm not angry or anything. Lol. I only felt that I need to share what I know to clarify some things.
On the other hands, that Alser blades looks legit to me. I can't see the veneers joint at all. IMO, they use 1 solid veneers for the top ply. The synthetic glue smell is probably epoxy glue used to glue the carbon to the wood.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Mar 2014
29
26
146
Also, I am not so sure this statement was "support"!



Tokieboi does show photos of blades that do use segmented pieces as poor quality. And from a $190.00 Stiga blade. Pretty lame.

But he is clearly stating that Ross Leidi is using the most expensive cuts of wood available.

I don't think that quarter sawn wood plays any better than a regular cut of the same wood. But it sure looks better and you get those cool grain patterns with fish scales or 3D effects.

Anyway, this too is a simple mistake and no harm has been done.

We all know you meant well. And it is a shame that so many of the bigger companies try to pass off shoddy workmanship as high quality blades.

So when someone like Ross Leidi or OSP is out there making high quality stuff, it is a breath of fresh air.

I have never used a Ross Leidi blade. But I use OSP blades. They are simple. The cuts are regular cuts. But the blades are of a great quality for playing. High quality but simple. Whereas, it looks like Ross Leidi's blades are high quality with an upper, upper, upper end productions with a creative and artistic flair.


Sent from GroundZero from my NanoWeaponOfMassDestruction
Wow. $190? That's very expensive. No wonder they do as far as to glue 2 small veneers to make 1 big enough for a blade size :rolleyes:.
The difference between quartersawn and flatsawn is quartersawn wood is more resistant to warping for table tennis blade, though I believe this only true to 1-ply blades only. Some woods look better in quartersawn, and some in flatsawn.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UpSideDownCarl
This user has no status.
WP_20150825_049.jpgWP_20150825_029.jpg

All the blades in this serie is pretty. But i most prefer Tenor. Tenor > Acoustic > Violin :3
----
I upvote the rosewood too. Its just simple and brilliant.
 
Top